Anyone changed HRT from patches to gel and prefer it?

[SilkieChick]

I’m on patches and they’re pretty easy to deal with - just need to change them twice a week.

However, I’m struggling with my dose - 75 feels like not enough - my mood is lower and I struggle with focus and motivation - but 100 causes headaches and I feel physically ‘off’ even though I feel better mentally, more energised and creative.

Wondering if I could find the sweet spot with gel - but I like the simplicity of patches, gel seems like a faff.

Anyone find it easier to control their dose with gel, and glad they made the switch?

Is the size of your limbs relevant here? Those who find it dries 'instantly' are you a one pump user with thighs on the larger side? What if you have stick legs and need two pumps is that a problem? Noted to avoid sandrena sachets if your house is cold and you need more than one!

I have a Mirena coil and use he’ll too. The gel is just part of my normal morning routine, shower, moisturiser, gel, deodorant and body lotion on the rest of me that wasn’t gelled. The gel takes no longer to dry than deodorant and body lotion, no faff at all.

I do have fairly large thighs but put my gel (2 pumps) on the outside of my arms quite often and there is easily enough surface, they are much smaller than most people's legs. What probably does help is that I tend to run hot so it's always going onto warm skin. It dries easily by the time I've taken out contacts, cleaned face and brushed teeth. House is not particularly either warm or cold.

I have a follow up appointment with my GP soon so I’m going to chat with her about it. The patches do sometimes itch like mad. But it’s a weigh up with that and the number of times I forget and have to undress again to use gel.

I don’t have a routine, I don’t moisturise or use body lotion. I do my teeth and contacts after shower, but I use that time to dry with towel wrapped around me!

To give context I used to forget to brush my teeth some days! (Suspected adhd)

Another Lenzetto spray user here - I love it! So quick and easy and no problem when travelling either as it’s not bulky.
I assume it’s much more expensive than gel or patches which is why GPs don’t offer it initially.

The PP idea is really good, to slightly increase your patch dose without going up to the next patch, just leave your expiring patch on for the remaining 3.5 days. This could give you a total dose between current and next one up. If you get the symptoms you normally get from the higher dose you’ll know it’s too much

Lenzetto spray all the way. As it goes on arms it can be done by rolling up sleeves. Takes less than 1 minute before allowed to touch fabric.

I prefer the gel, I just cleanse my face and apply make-up while I wait for it to dry as the patches just kept falling off for me. I would then apply a new one and would keep getting breakthrough bleeds to the point I had an ultrasound. Since being on gel I have had no bleeds and once it settled no other side effects. I prefer it.